Fatal Drunk Driving Accidents Increase as DUI Arrests Decrease

Another example of the effect of reducing the consequences for criminal behavior is playing out across America.  Over the past several years, as part of the progressive criminal justice reform movement, the penalties for drunk driving have been reduced.  Like commercial burglary, shoplifting, simple assault and drug dealing, drunk driving is considered a “low level” crime in most states.  Scott Calvert of the Wall Street Journal reports that while the number of fatal accidents involving drunk drivers are the highest in 20 years, arrests for drunk driving have plummeted.

“Though the risk of arrest is widely considered a key deterrent to drunken driving, DUI arrests in recent years have sunk to multidecade lows, Federal Bureau of Investigation figures show. They dropped from just over a million in 2019 to about 780,000 in 2020. The FBI said there were 788,000 such arrests in 2022, the latest data available.”

There is much speculation about why arrests are down, including police fear of catching Covid 19, shrinkage of police forces as fewer people choose to become officers, and political pressure on police departments to reduce patrols and traffic arrests in high crime urban districts to address alleged “racial bias.” The reduction of consequences must also be a major contributor.  As the head of government affairs for Mothers Against Drunk Drivers put it:

“ ‘People drive drunk because they can,’ she said. ‘We want law enforcement to be able to do their job so that if you make that poor choice, that illegal choice, you’re going to face some serious consequences. That’s what’s going to change people’s behavior.’

“ ‘One of the best things that we can do is enforcement and be out there, be visible and stop cars, and when we see someone’s impaired, we make an arrest,’ said Capt. Chris Kinn of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. ‘If there’s not severe consequences, then people might be more apt to do some of those dangerous behaviors.’ “

California provides a good example of what not to do.  In a report on crime in Los Angeles over the past year, Mayor Karen Bass noted that fatal DUI accidents increased in her city by 32%, outpacing the national increase. California law treats DUI as a non-serious crime until somebody gets killed. In Los Angeles, under progressive District Attorney George Gascón, most DUI arrestees are released the same day they are caught.  Both city and state laws discourage officers from making traffic stops for failing to signal, no registration, weaving, or missing a tail light. Often the drivers in these incidents are intoxicated. Progressive prosecutors (such as Gascón) boast about how under their leadership arrests are down, indicating that there is less crime.  As this occurs repeat drunk drivers are plowing their cars into restaurants, other cars, school busses, women pushing strollers, and invalids in wheelchairs.